| Groundwork helps the horse to
develop flexibility and balance. It helps to establish a solid foundation for ridden work
as the horse learns true self-carriage. It enables the horse to learn how to move his body
in a more effective way without placing unnecessary stress on one particular joint or
joints, releases tension, teaches focus and obedience and improves co-ordination.
Groundwork enables the horse to become active rather than simply reactive.
It is said that a horse only has so many circles in him.
Working a horse purely on the lunge or in a lunging pen can put uneven strain on the
joints and can inadvertently teach a horse to work with his neck and head turned to the
outside and brace through the inside shoulder. Incorporating other aspects of groundwork
into the routine or lunging the horse around a square pattern of poles can help develop
balance, suppleness and straightness. By being creative you encourage the horse to focus
on the exercises thus increasing their concentration span and ability to learn.
Other more specific exercises such as the teeter totter (a
low level see saw) help to teach a horse how to adjust his balance on a moving platform
and can be done in hand and under saddle. It can help with loading problems and lack of
confidence and helps the handler to become clear and precise with the signals. The
exercise can be used to teach the horse how to tip the teeter totter up and down when
standing on the balance point of the construction by simply moving his centre of gravity
but not his feet.
| Teaching a horse to walk between two people
helps to improve balance and also accustoms them to being handled from the off side. It is
a useful exercise for horses that crown or barge - behaviours that are linked to poor
balance and lack of confidence. |
|
|
| Robyn is working through the steps to free
work. Barney used to bolt away from his owner when being led and was completely
transformed thanks to TTEAM. Free work builds trust and understanding and is a useful
exercise to teach all horses |
|
| Within minutes Barney is able to soften into
the contact |
|
|
| Robyn strokes the lead line which will also
encourage Barney to release and lengthen his neck |
|
| Barney's habit is to raise his head as soon
as he feels pressure on the head collar or on the bit - Robyn takes a soft contact between
her two hands to ensure that the lead line does not tighten around his nose and asks him
to walk forward. |
|
|
| Leading the horse by supporting the
headcollar with one hand and asking the horse to walk in shallow serpentines helps to
release from the poll. This simple Connected Ground Work exercise will help you to
understand where your horse is blocked. It is far easier to release tension in hand rather
than simply trying to address the problem under saddle. |
|
| Leading the horse by supporting the
headcollar with one hand and asking the horse to walk in shallow serpentines helps to
release from the poll. This simple Connected Ground Work exercise will help you to
understand where your horse is blocked. It is far easier to release tension in hand rather
than simply trying to address the problem under saddle. |
|
|
| The labyrinth is a simple exercise to help
horses learn to flex through the body and engage the hind quarters. Once the horse has
learnt the exercises in hand the horse is led through the same patterns of poles with the
tack on. This is an important step when backing or re starting horses. If they are worried
about the sensation of the saddle they will not be able to walk through the labyrinth. |
|
|
| Walking over raised poles improves focus and
co-ordination and encourage the horse to release the top line and engage the hind
quarters. |
|
|
Top of page
|
